Varying Degrees 2024

Survey
Jul. 2024
Sample Size: 1,705
Demographics: US adults
Topics: Value Accountability Affordability Funding

Top Findings:

  • Democrats and Republicans are aligned on a few higher education issues, despite their differences in many policy areas. Both groups similarly do not think higher education is fine right now (36 and 39 percent of Democrats and Republicans, respectively) and agree that cost is the biggest barrier to enrollment for most individuals (87 and 78 percent of Democrats and Republicans, respectively).
  • Americans would like to see candidates address the issue of college affordability in the coming election. More than 70 percent of them (85 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Republicans) said the candidates’ stance on higher education affordability will be important to their votes.
  • Americans continue to want greater transparency on key indicators of education quality, as in previous years. A majority of Americans agree that institutions should lose access to taxpayer dollars if students have poor outcomes.